ISLAMABAD, Jan 28: Differences cropped up in the parliamentary commission on new provinces on Monday when the Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F opposed at the last moment inclusion of Bhakkar and Mianwali districts in the proposed “Bahawalpur Janoobi Province” and submitted notes of dissent to be attached with the commission’s report.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of JUI-F set off a fresh controversy when he opposed the inclusion of even Dera Ghazi Khan division in the proposed province to be carved out of Punjab. He added his voice to the Pakistan Muslim League-N’s demand that Bahawalpur be restored as a province.

Talking to reporters after attending the commission’s meeting which according to its chairman Farhatullah Babar could be the last one, ANP Senator Haji Adeel and Maulana Haideri said they were against the proposal to include Bhakkar and Mianwali districts in the new province without hearing the elected representatives from the two northern districts of Punjab.

The ANP senator said the commission had last week invited legislators from three divisions -- Bahawalpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan -- to seek their opinion on the issue, but never consulted the representatives from Bhakkar and Mianwali districts. It would be unjustified and against the wishes of the people of the area.

Senator Adeel claimed that his party had reports that the people of Bahawalnagar district were also not willing to be included in the proposed Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab.

He said PML-Q’s Kamil Ali Agha had expressed his desire that the commission take up the issue of carving Hazara province out of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but his request had been turned down. He disclosed that the commission had agreed to make Bahawalpur the capital of the proposed province.

Maulana Haideri said that in his dissent note he had expressed reservations over the inclusion of D.G. Khan in the proposed Janoobi Punjab province because the division had been a part of Balochistan in the past.

Secondly, he said, the status of Bahawalpur as province should be restored in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the Punjab Assembly.

Jamshed Dasti, a PPP member of the commission, said that except for the PML-N, all other parties had agreed on creation of a new province in south Punjab. He said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif should come forward and take credit for the new province by declaring his support for it. The new province could become a reality before Feb 20 if the PML-N agreed to it, he added. Abdul Qadir Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, said all members had signed the commission’s report on Monday.

Talking to Dawn, Farhatullah Babar said the commission had completed its task with the cooperation of all its members and would soon submit its report to the National Assembly Speaker.

In reply to a question, he said he believed that there was no need for convening another meeting of the commission. However, he said, the commission would remain intact until it was disbanded by the speaker through a notification.

About the notes of dissent, he said it was part of the democratic process. As an example, he said that a number of members of the parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms had submitted their notes of dissent, but they voted in favour of the agreed draft of the 18th Amendment Bill.

Asked about utility of the whole exercise given that the new province could not be carved out without consent of the PML-N and the Punjab Assembly, he said the commission’s report would at least provide a base for further debate and action on the matter.

Mr Babar, who is also spokesman for President Asif Ali Zardari, denied that the commission had worked under any political pressure and that the PPP wanted to use the issue as election stunt.

The controversial parliamentary commission had on Saturday approved the draft of an amendment bill seeking creation of a new province to be called “Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab”. It will comprise three divisions and two districts of Punjab.

Despite presentation of the commission’s report and the draft bill to parliament, it is unlikely that the proposed province will become a reality because of opposition by the PML-N, the ruling party in Punjab.

The PML-N has boycotted the commission and has announced that it will not accept its recommendations. It has accused PPP of ignoring the parliamentary process required for creation of new provinces to gain political advantage in the elections.

The PML-N objects to composition of the commission and its focus on one province. The party supports creation of Bahawalpur and Seraiki provinces and wants a national commission to take up the issue of creation of new federating units by dividing three other provinces, particularly Hazara province by bifurcating Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Rejecting the government’s move to carve out one large province from Punjab, the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, had said on Sunday that the PML-N would seek creation of Bahawalpur and South Punjab provinces through amendments to the bill the government planned to table in parliament for creation of “Bahawalpur Janoobi Punjab”.

The 14-member commission was formed by the National Assembly Speaker on Aug 16 in pursuance of a message received from President Zardari and authorisation by the assembly on July 11.

The speaker announced the names of only 12 members, drawn from the two houses of parliament, and said two members would be nominated by the speaker of the Punjab Assembly. The speaker of the provincial assembly, who belongs to the opposition PML-N, later refused to nominate the members in line with the party policy, putting a question mark on the proceedings of the commission which, according to some legal experts, is incomplete and can’t function.